SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRACTION MOTORS IN A VEHICLE SYSTEM

• US 20150191183A1
• Filed: 01/09/2014
• Published: 07/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Daum, Wolfgang, Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair
• Granted Patent: US 9,221,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/12 Control gear; Arrangements for controlling locomotives from remote points in the train or when operating in multiple units control from points outside the train B61L3/00; fluid-actuated telemotors, servomotors F15B; control devices in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2201/00 Control methods
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/57 for vehicles or trains, e.g. trackside supervision of train conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

A control system including a measurement module configured to receive motor measurements that represent operating parameters of plural traction motors of a common vehicle system as the vehicle system propels along a route. The control system also includes an analysis module configured to compare the motor measurements to an expected measurement. The expected measurement corresponds to a designated motor type. The analysis module is configured to determine that at least one of the traction motors is different from the designated motor type based on comparing the motor measurements to the expected measurement.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

a measurement module configured to receive motor measurements that represent operating parameters in plural traction motors of a common vehicle system as the vehicle system propels along a route, the fraction motors being energized by a common power source and being electrically parallel with respect to one another; and

an analysis module configured to compare the motor measurements to one another, the analysis module configured to determine that the traction motors include different motor types and are mismatched based on comparing the motor measurements to one another.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the analysis module is configured to determine that the traction motors include different motor types based on a difference of the motor measurements.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the traction motors are from a common propulsion-generating vehicle.

4. The control system of claim 3, wherein the traction motors are induction motors that are energized by a common inverter.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the analysis module is configured to calculate performance relationships of the operating parameters for the traction motors, the analysis module configured to determine that the traction motors include different motor types based on a comparison of the performance relationships.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the performance relationships include at least one of a torque-slip relationship, a current-slip relationship, a torque-speed relationship, or a current-speed relationship.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein, in response to determining that the traction motors include different motor types, the control system is configured to at least one of (a) notify an operator of the vehicle system that the traction motors include different motor types;

(b) notify a remote monitoring station that the traction motors include different motor types;

(c) reduce tractive efforts of one or more of the traction motors;

or (d) instruct a planning module to modify an existing operating plan of the vehicle system based on the traction motors of the different motor types.

8. The control system of claim 1, further comprising a planning module, wherein in response to determining that the traction motors include different motor types, the planning module is configured to modify an existing operating plan to at least one of (a) improve an operating efficiency of the vehicle system;

(b) reduce the tractive efforts provided by one or more of the traction motors;

or (c) disable one or more of the fraction motors.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the different motor types include a high-slip induction motor and a low-slip induction motor.

10. A method comprising:

controlling plural traction motors of a vehicle system to propel the vehicle system along a route, the traction motors being energized by a common power source and being electrically parallel with respect to one another;

receiving motor measurements that represent operating parameters of the traction motors as the vehicle system propels along the route;

comparing the motor measurements to one another; and

determining whether the traction motors include different motor types and are mismatched.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the traction motors are from a common propulsion-generating vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the traction motors are induction motors energized by a common inverter.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising calculating performance relationships of the operating parameters for the traction motors and determining that the traction motors include different motor types based on a comparison of the performance relationships.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein, in response to determining that the traction motors include different motor types, the method further comprises at least one of (a) notifying an operator of the vehicle system that the traction motors include different motor types;

(b) notifying a remote monitoring station that the traction motors include different motor types;

(c) reducing tractive efforts of one or more of the traction motors;

or (d) instructing a planning module to modify an existing operating plan of the vehicle system based on the traction motors of the different motor types.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein, in response to determining that the traction motors include different motor types, the method further comprises modifying an existing operating plan to at least one of (a) improve an operating efficiency of the vehicle system;

(b) reduce the tractive efforts provided by one or more of the traction motors;

or (c) disable one or more of the traction motors.

16. A control system comprising:

a measurement module configured to receive motor measurements that represent operating parameters of plural fraction motors of a common vehicle system as the vehicle system propels along a route, the fraction motors being energized by a common power source and being electrically parallel with respect to one another; and

an analysis module configured to compare the motor measurements to an expected measurement, the expected measurement corresponding to a designated motor type, the analysis module configured to determine that at least one of the traction motors is different from the designated motor type based on comparing the motor measurements to the expected measurement.

17. The control system of claim 16, wherein the operating parameters include at least one of an excitation frequency, a motor speed, a motor current, a voltage, a thermal rise, a torque, or a motor slip of the corresponding traction motors.

18. The control system of claim 16, wherein the expected measurement is one of a range of values, a threshold value, or a baseline value.

19. The control system of claim 16, wherein the expected measurement is a function of an excitation frequency received by the plural fraction motors.

20. The control system of claim 16, wherein the plural fraction motors include at least three traction motors, the analysis module configured to compare the motor measurements to one another, wherein the analysis module is configured to determine that the at least one traction motor is different based on comparing the motor measurements to one another.